Coming Soon: A Deeper Community Connection for Your Writing Practice

Plus mindful guest chats, writing resources and more 💙

Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

Over the past month as I have announced the closure of my writing business, Retreat West, after thirteen years, and the time approaches when I will have a whole eight months in one place (really cannot wait for that!), I've been reflecting on what The Mindful Writer means to me and how I can better serve all of you who've joined me on this journey of writing with greater awareness and compassion. All of you who were so quick to help with messages of support and tips in my jar when we found ourselves suddenly homeless in March. It showed me that there is a real community building here. That we really care about each other’s wellbeing even though most of us have only ever met online (so far!).

As you will know if you read my posts regularly, I truly believe our words have the power to heal. To connect us more deeply to ourselves, to each other, and to this amazing experience of being alive. And I want to create more space for that connection — not just through what I write and share here, but through genuine community gatherings and shared exploration.

So I'm excited to share some new things coming to The Mindful Writer from August onwards for my paid members.

For Everyone (Nothing Changes!)

Everything you love about The Mindful Writer stays exactly the same. You'll still receive four posts from me each month, with only one, The Writing Sanctuary, behind the paywall. I'll continue sharing prompts in our chat discussions because I love seeing your responses and the conversations they spark.

What I do has always been about making writing accessible, and that doesn't change.

For Paid Subscribers (So Much More!)

What I'm adding is a whole new layer of connection and support for those who want to go deeper. Think of it as expanding the writing sanctuary within our community. The Monthly Mindful Writing Marathons will still be running and I’m adding lots more connection and craft development elements.

Monthly Office Hours: Starting in August, I'll host monthly drop-in sessions on Zoom where you can bring your writing questions, share what you're working on and reading, or simply connect with other mindful writers. No agenda, no pressure — just space to be together and explore this craft we love. These will be on the fourth Friday of the month at 15.30 UK time.

Behind-the-Scenes Voice Notes: I'll share occasional audio updates about my own writing process, the books I'm reading, insights from my mindfulness practice, and the messy, beautiful reality of trying to live and write more consciously in the challenging times we find ourselves living in.

A Growing Resource Library: Each month, I'll add something new — collections of prompts organised by theme, guides for writing mindfully, ideas for being compassionate with your work. Goodies that accumulate over time to support your practice.

Early Access & Special Rates: You'll get first dibs on workshop and course bookings and special rates that aren't available anywhere else. This starts now with the Mindful Memoir Course, which is sold out for Monday’s start date and I have already had several enquiries about when it will run again. The next one starts on 6th October and the live sessions will be 18th October with

Eleanor Anstruther

, 1st November with

Ros Barber

and 11th November with

Teri Leigh 💜

. Paid members of this Substack who want to join this course get £15 off the fee (if paid in full) if you book before the course opens for bookings on the website in July. Message me to get the advance discounted booking link.

You’ll also get discounts on my other courses and chances to book or apply before they open to everyone, including my Year of Mindful Writing Course, which has sold out every year since I launched it.

Revived Private Community: I'm bringing back the community space on my website that got neglected during my housing challenges. This will be a gentle place for deeper conversations, sharing work-in-progress, and building the kind of supportive relationships that help our writing flourish.

Monthly Writing Invitations: Simple, mindful prompts shared in the Chat just with paid subscribers — gentle invitations to explore something new in your writing practice.

Quarterly Guest Conversations: I'll bring in other voices — mindful living experts, fellow mindful writers, teachers who align with our values — for conversations about creativity, consciousness, and the intersection of the two.

Why This Feels Right

I've learned so much about the power of real connection over the past decade of mindfulness practice and fifteen years of teaching writing and hosting online communities. There's something that happens when we create space for genuine connection around the things that matter to us. Our writing deepens. Our courage grows. Our hearts open wider. We remember why we fell in love with words in the first place.

I want to create that space here and build relationships where we can explore the heart of our writing. Where we can support each other's creative and mindful journeys with the same compassion we're learning to bring to our work.

If you're here for the essays, the prompts, the interviews, and the mindful writing inspiration that I already share, nothing changes for you. These new offerings are simply for me to bring more value to those who are supporting my work and to connect more closely with then. There for those of you who want to dive deeper and be part of something smaller and more intimate within our larger circle.

Starting Slow, Growing Gently

I'll be rolling these new elements out gradually over the coming months, starting with office hours and the community space in August, once we have moved into the eight-month home. Like all good things, this will unfold at its own pace, with plenty of space to adjust and respond to what feels most valuable to all of you.

Because ultimately, this is about serving your writing practice and creating the kind of supportive space many of us wished we'd had when we were finding our way as writers. And a space where we can foster the compassion and love the world really needs right now.

If you've been considering becoming a paid subscriber, I hope now you’ll decide to join us. It’s just £6 a month, or £5 a month if you pay for the year in full. And if you're perfectly happy with things as they are, that's great too. I am grateful to everyone who is here on all subscription levels.

Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for trusting me with your time and attention. Thank you for believing, like I do, that our words can make this world a little more connected, a little more compassionate, and a little more loving.

With love,

P.S. I'd love to know what you think about all of this. What calls to you? What questions do you have? Let me know in the comments below or email me directly — I read and respond to everything.